While the new Foxconn plant just outside of São Paulo, Brazil was initially expected to begin production in late July, today Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology Aloizio Mercadanta reported that iPad production would actually begin later this fall.
According to Mercadanta, construction delays are the reason for the delay in production, as well as an apparent shortage of skilled labor in the country. Foxconn has reportedly hired 175 engineers for the new plant, and has sent them to China for training and preparation, but according to Mercadanta, Foxconn actually needs over 200 engineers in the plant for it to run successfully.
The need for additional factories should be apparent to anyone following the iPad 2 news, as supplies of the tablet are still quite constricted. Further, the additional factory will be able to decrease overall production costs, not because the iPads will necessarily be any cheaper to make, but due to the fact that the government won’t levy taxes on domestically produced goods.
I sure hope that Apple can ramp their production up in time for the iPhone 5 – Demand for the next-gen iPhone will surely be extremely intense, and it would be disappointing to see the launch head in the same direction as that of the iPad 2…
Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments!
